Folded sheet



S. SHAPIRO FOLDED SHEET Oct. 28, 1941.

Filed Sept. 18, 1940 INVENTOR SAMUEL SHA ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATE-S I PATENT; OFFIE i FOLDED snnnr Samuel'Shapiro, New York; N; Y. Application September 18, 1940, Serial No. 357,203

(chaos- 57) I r 5 Claims.

My invention relates to the folding of sheets of material such as paper and the like, used-for napkins, doilies, towels, or similar articles;

The main object of my invention is to so fold an originally large blank or sheet of'material as to reduce same to relatively small compass so that it can be packaged and handled advantageously.

Another object of my invention is to so'fold the original sheet or blank of material that it presents a number of points at which it can be handled for quick and easy unfolding."

Another object of my invention is to fold a blank having an odd number of coextensive sections in such manner as to resultin a fold of four thicknesses.

A further object ofmy invention is to so fold an originally large sheet or blank of material that the portions or panels into which the sheet is subdivided are arranged in symmetrical andbalanced relation and form a finished folded article having a uniform number of thicknesses through:

out. i

Other objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part be pointed .out hereinafter. My invention will be described in relation to its use as a napkin although it is not to be limited to that. use only.

In the drawing annexed hereto and forming a part hereof Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sheet or blank before being folded, the component sections ofthe sheet and the lines of fold being indicated by dot and dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet or blank of Fig. 1 after the first two lateral folds have been completed, the lines and directions of the third and fourth lateral folds being indicated;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing four lateral folds completed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sheet in its final folded condition with the four lateral folds and one transverse fold completed in accordance with one form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified fold, also in accordance with my invention in which is shown the blank of Fig. 1 with the first two lateral folds completed, as in Fig. 2, but with the direction of third and fourth lateral folds indicated as being made in the direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of this modification of my invention showing four lateral folds completed;

of Fig. 6 in its final position with the four lateral folds and one transverse fold completed;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the fold of Fig. 3 with two transverse folds in accordance with another modification of my invention; and

Fig. '9 is a perspective view of the fold of Fig. 6 with twotransverse folds in accordance with another modification of my invention.

The sheet or blank I use is preferably of paper or other easily foldable material.- -As shown in Fig.1, sheet Hlis of rectangular shape and comprises seven'coextensive'portions or sections. Of these, there are t wo large main sections I4, one smaller section"! 6, and four other and smaller sections l8. Each of sections l8'is one-third-the Width offsections ma e one-half the width of section IBQ; Two of these sections l8 are located along the lateral edges of sheet I0, and the remaining sections are located therebetween.

In producing the fold of'my invention in accordance with the former Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8, I fold sheet I0 lengthwise along lateral line 2D20 to bring panels l8a, Ma and |8a into overlapping relation to part of the sheet, and I fold the opposite side of sheet I!) lengthwise al lateral and section 'lfld overlies the other half of section I'B; Withljthe. first'tv'vo folds completed, the area of Sheet I0 has been halved;

' Ifurther reduce the blankby folding same lengthwise along lateral fold lines 24-44 and 2626 (as indicated in Fig. 2), and bringing the newly formed edges 2| and 23 together. The outer edges l5 and I! of blank 10 are close together on the outside of the fold and are easily available for grasping so that the blank may be easily and quickly expanded for use.

Considering the blank as reduced to the ultimate form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, same has four layers of equal width. The top, or outermost layer, consists of three of the smallest sections [8a, l8d and l8b of equal width, disposed in side-byside relationship. The second layer consists of medium sized section I6 and smaller section I811. The next layer consists of one large section Mb and the bottom layer consists of one large section [4a.

This top layer, composed of the three narrower sections l8a, l8d, l8b, has closed or rolled outer longitudinal edges along the fold lines 24-24,

Fig.7 is a perspective view of the modified fold 25-26. On the top thereof it has two open or raw edges l5, l1, and two closed or rolled edges 2|, 23.

The fold of Figs. 3;and 4 may be further re-v duced in size. For instance, as in Fig. 4, the blank of Fig. 3 is folded transversely along the medial line 2828, forming eight layers, and in Fig. 8, two transverse folds are made along lines 3U-30 and32--32, dividing. the blank into three parts, forming twelve layers.

In the modified form of Figs. 5, 6, '7 and 9, parts similar to those of the form of Figs. 1 to 4, will be given similar reference indicia. Starting with the same blank l and the same number, ar-' layer is of the same length and width, and the fold is of uniform thickness throughout. The

7 layers of equal width, in which one of the layers rangement and size of sections l4, I6, I8, and

folding the blank along the longitudinal lines of folds -40, 22-22, I fold the blank to the form 7 shown .in Fig. 5, wherein sections l8d, 18a, 14a

and I81)v overlie respectively sections I6, lb and I8c. In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to ,4, I folded the blank, after the completion of the -first two folds, in such manner that the layer composed of the three smaller sections [8a, 18d and I8b appeared on the outside of the napkin.- In this modification, however, I fold the blank laterally along-the fold lines v24-4'4 and 2626 so that sections 16 and [8c are on-:the outside and the layer made-up of the. three smaller sections is on the inside,the result being shown in Fig. 6. I 1

Thereaftenone transverse fold may be made along line28-28, or two transverse folds alon lines 30-40, 32--32,maybe made, as it is desired to further reduce the blank (see Figs. 7 and9 respectively).

In allmodifications of my'invention, my fold has four lateral layers. Two of these layers consist of one large section each. A third layer in each case consists of one medium-sized and one small section, and the fourth layer in each case consists of three small equal-sized sections. The layers are all equal in width and thickness and the fold is balanced and symmetrical. With the three section layer on the outside, the peripheral lateral edges 15 and I! may be utilized for unfolding the napkin for use. With the three section layer on the inside of the fold, a smooth surface is presented which is neat, and permits easy stacking of large numbers of napkins. eral edges are-closed or rolled, forestalling any possibility of raw edgesinterfering in any way with the handling ordispensing of the napkins.

In all modifications of my invention, every In all forms of my invention, all latcomprises but one of the parts, a second layer comprises another of the parts, a third layer comprises two of the parts, and the fourth layer comprises three of the parts, the longitudinal margins of the folded sheet being closed.

2. A rectangular paper sheet having seven coextensive sections of equal length, four of which sections are of equal width, t wo of whichsections are'each three times asrwide as each of the. four sections, and a. seventh section which is twice as wide as each of the four, the article being folded into four layers, of equal width, one of which comprises one wide section, a second of. which comprises the second wide section, the third of which comprises one narrow and the seventh sec tion, and the fourth ofwhich comprises three of the narrower sections, the longitudinal margins of the folded sheet'being closed. V

3. A rectangular paper sheet as in claim 2, in which the fourth layer, composed ofthe. three narrower sections, comprises an outermostlayer of the folded sheet. g I

4. Arectangular papersheet as in claim 2', in which the fourth layer, composed of the three narrower sections, comprises an inner layeriof the folded sheet. V

5. A rectangular paper sheet having an :odd number of coextensive parts folded upon itself on lines parallel to the longitudinal edges there'- of into. four layers ofequal width, the longitudie nal margins of the foldedsheet being closed, one of the layers comprising but one of the parts, a second layer comprising another of the parts, a third layer. comprising two of the parts and the fourth layer comprising three of the parts, said fourth layer having thereon and between the out er longitudinal margins two open edges andtwo closed edges. I SAMUEL SHAPIRO. 

